News roundup: Huntsman leans against 2016 White House bid

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Huntsman leans against second White House bid. Hill workers return, still wary. Reid gives LDS Church $10k from PAC.

Happy Tuesday. When asked recently by Google CEO's Eric Schmidt: "Are you going to run again?" former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman replied, "I might look crazy, but I'm not insane." That's one of many answers the former presidential candidates has been giving as he speaks across the country. While Huntsman has been seen as a moderate answer to the GOP's right-wing tilt, it appears he's leaning against another White House bid. [TheRun2016]

Topping the news: As some 4,300 civilian defense employees in Utah returned back to work  2,700 of them to Hill Air Force Base  excitement is tentative until they know if they'll receive back pay. [Trib] [KUTV] More shutdown news below.

-> Mitt Romney has bought a house in Deer Valley, while the purchase price was not disclosed, a real estate firm estimated it at $8.9 million. [Trib] [ParkRecord] [DNews]

-> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave a $10,000 donation to the LDS Church in August, the same amount given to his leadership PAC by a now-jailed fund-raiser. [RollCall]

Tweets of the day: From @thatdanstewart: "The Washington Redskins are to change their name, due to negative associations. From now on, they will be known as the 'Maryland Redskins'"

From @jimantle: "War with Syria was such a pressing national security concern that we've completely forgotten about it."

Happy birthday: To Christie Gehrke, the better half of the Gehrke Clan.

Shutdown, day 8: President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats say they would be open to a short-term bill to raise the debt ceiling, avoid default and allow further negotiations for the long-term. [WaPost] [Politico]

-> The government shutdown is likely to have some effects on the economy, but defaulting on America's debts could undermine global confidence in the United States. [WaPost]

-> The National Park Service is closing privately-owned businesses that are in the parks, some rangers are even setting up road blocks so visitors cannot access them. [WaTimes]

-> The White House has determined that spying done by the NSA is essential during the shutdown, but the panel reviewing NSA spying programs isn't. [WaPost]

-> According to a Washington Post-ABC poll, 70 percent of Americans disapprove of the Republican's budget negotiations, and 61 percent disapprove of the Democrat's approach. [WaPost]

-> The Washington County Commission has declared a local emergency because of economic disruption caused by the shutdown. The emergency is meant to be a message to Congress to open the national parks again. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV] [Fox13]

Heads up: Talk show host Rod Arquette will host a live town hall meeting this Wednesday to discuss the affects of the Affordable Care Act (105-7FM, 570AM KNRS). State Rep. Jim Dunnigan, officials from the Governor's Office and the insurance industry will be on the panel. People who want to attend the meeting can to go to knrs.com to register.

In other news: The Utah Division of Air Quality proposed a new State Implementation Plan to improve the air quality to federal standards in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties. [Trib] [KUTV]

-> For Kane County to cover its portion of a proposed Lake Powell pipeline, it'd have to raise taxes to the max allowed by state law, raise water rates by 538 percent and hike impact fees to nearly $29,000. [Trib]

-> Rep. Chris Stewart says that writing Elizabeth Smart's memoir, "My Story" was one of the most challenging and rewarding of his career. [DNews]

-> A legislative committee looking at possible changes in the how the Legislature operates has met only twice this year and is running out of time to present findings. [UtahPolicy]

Nationally: Glitches continue to plague the Obamacare exchange site healthcare.gov, the White House said it's because of high traffic, whereas others say it's because of serious design flaws. [Politico] [NYTimes]

-> President Barack Obama's top climate and energy advisor, Heather Zichal, is stepping down, even after Obama asked her to stay. [WaPost] [Politico]

-> Benjamin Franklin is getting a makeover as a new $100 note will be introduced today. The note was originally planned for 2011, but security measures caused problems with printing. [CNN] [NYTimes]

-> The man who lit himself on fire on the National Mall last week is identified as a New Jersey resident with a history of mental illness. [WaPost]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert rehearses for the Education Summit and attends the Exelis Board of Directors meeting.

SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams participates in the County Council meeting and gets a flue shot there and later sits down with Herriman City Mayor Clint Smith.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder goes to the Economic Development Corporation of Utah Executive Committee and conducts the City Council meeting.

President Barack Obama meets with Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in the Oval Office.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [Trib]